AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (Ticker) -- Anthony Mason had 22 points
and 10 rebounds and David Wesley scored 18 points to lead the
Charlotte Hornets to their fourth straight win, 98-91 over the
Detroit Pistons.

Mason made 5-of-8 shots from the floor and was 12-of-13 from the
line as the Hornets moved within one game of fifth-place Toronto
in the Eastern Conference.

"It's definitely a big victory because Detroit is playing well,"
Mason said. "They're right behind us and that's the competition
you like to come out on top of. We were really persistent about
getting this win. They imposed their will in the first half by
dominating the boards. In the second half we started limiting
them to one shot and so it was a matter of wills and we came out
on top at the end."

Grant Hill scored 26 points and Jerry Stackhouse added 19 for
Detroit, which is 2 1/2 games behind Charlotte and just one in
front of eighth-place Orlando. Stackhouse did not attempt a
field goal in the fourth quarter, when the Pistons were
outscored, 29-20.

"I thought we gave a pretty good effort, that wasn't the
problem," Detroit interim coach George Irvin said. "We gave
what we had. The tank just wasn't full. It's an old NBA cliche
that the first game back from the West Coast is a tough one and
it wouldn't be a cliche if there wasn't some truth behind it. We
didn't shoot the ball very well."

Jerome Williams grabbed 11 rebounds off the bench to help the
Pistons to a 46-44 edge on the boards. The Pistons shot just
38.5 percent (35-of-91) from the floor.

"Everybody has nights like this," said Detroit guard Lindsey
Hunter, who made just 2-of-12 shots. "You just don't shoot
well. Tonight it just seemed to happen to everyone all at once.
I thought we played pretty well defensively, but we were a bit
stagnant on offense."

Rookie Eddie Robinson gave the Pistons the lead for good, 72-71,
when he made a free throw with 10:44 left in the fourth quarter.
After Williams missed a jumper, Eddie Jones hit a 15-footer to
give Charlotte a 74-71 advantage with 10:19 to play.

"We just did what we do best. We go inside and we kick it out
for shots," Charlotte coach Paul Silas said. "There wasn't
anything magical about it. They missed shots we made them and
that kind of is the bottom line."

Hill made two free throws to pull the Pistons within, 74-73,
with 10:11 left, but Todd Fuller responded with a three-point
play 17 seconds later. Jones made two free throws with 9:22
left to give Charlotte a 79-73 lead.

Detroit trimmed the deficit to 84-83 when Hill completed a
three-point play with 5:44 to go, but Mason hit two foul shots
seven seconds later. Hill drove for a layup to cut the margin
to 94-91 with 46 seconds remaining before Campbell hit a
13-footer 23 seconds later. After a turnover by Hill, Wesley
made two free throws for the final margin with 14 seconds left.

Hill and Stackhouse each scored six points in the first period
when the Pistons had a 25-19 lead. Detroit's biggest lead was
40-27 on a layup by Stackhouse with 5:35 left in the second
quarter. Mason capped a 13-3 run with a layup to put Charlotte
within 43-40, 2:10 before halftime.